In a remarkable tale of perseverance and lifelong learning, a 71-year-old man from Jaipur has achieved what many consider one of India’s toughest academic milestones — he has qualified as a Chartered Accountant (CA). Tara Chand Agarwal, a retired employee of the erstwhile State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur (SBBJ), cleared the CA Final exams after years of self-study, inspired by his granddaughter’s preparation journey.
The heartwarming story was shared on LinkedIn by CA Nikhilesh Kataria, who revealed that Agarwal’s interest in accountancy began while helping his granddaughter study for the same examination. What started as a gesture of support soon turned into a personal mission. With unwavering dedication, Agarwal not only kept pace with complex accounting concepts but eventually cleared the rigorous CA Final exam.
Kataria praised the septuagenarian’s determination, calling it a perfect example of the saying, “where there is a will, there is a way.” The post quickly went viral across social media platforms, with users applauding Agarwal’s incredible commitment and proving that it’s never too late to chase academic dreams.
Meanwhile, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) declared the CA Final 2025 results on 6 July. Ranjan Kabra from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district in Maharashtra topped the exam, securing All India Rank 1 with 516 marks out of 600 (an impressive 86%). Nishtha Bothra and Manav Rakesh Shah secured AIR-2 and AIR-3 respectively.
This year, a total of 14,247 candidates qualified as Chartered Accountants. The exams for Group 1 and Group 2 were conducted between 16 May and 24 May 2025.